Closure for hopper of hopper type railway cars



June 2, 1953 G. B. DOREY CLOSURE FOR HOPPER OF HOPPER TYPE RAILWAY CARSFiled Nov. 18, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l NZENTOR. rr,

G. B. DOREY 2,640,440

CLOSURE FOR HOPPER OF HOPPER TYPE RAILWAY CARS June 2, 1953 sSheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 18, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

Gea/ gefiflon ey, BY W M lil|lllllllllll| |llllllll|ll Ill-III June 2,1953 a. B. DOREY 2,640,440

I CLOSURE FOR HOPPER OF HOPPER TYPE RAILWAY CARS Filed Nov. 18, 1949 I 3Sheets-She 5 IN VEN TOR.

(fee/ye 5. Hang,

Patented June 2, 1953 CLOSURE FOR-HOPPER-O F HOPPER RAILWAY (JARS George-*B. Dorey, *Westmoun't, Quebec, 4 Canada, assignor to Enterprise.Ra-ilway Equipment flornpanypfilhio'ago, IlL, a-corporation of IllinoisAppIioationNovember 18, I949, Serial1No.1'28j;210

connection with gates which neoessitate the exercise of considerableforce to initiate their openingmovement. This is particularly truewith a"hopper-positioned'above the rail-s and at a substantial distanceinwardly of the car sidewall thereby necessitating the operation ofthe-"gate from aloca-tion-ou-twardl-y of-the ear side wall.

The 'conventional -method of operation now widely used involves ahorizontally disposed and transversely extending operating shaft withcooperating rack and pinion means and an operating head for receiving anoperating 'bar so that the shaft can he rotated from -apositi'on'adjaeentoneside of the-par. Insuoha eonstructionthereisatendeney for the-car side wall toflinterfere with "the free movementor the operating bar since it swings suhstantiall-y a vertioal plane.According to this invention -a construction is provided wherein theshaft and pinion :means are p'ositionedso as-tooperate about: a verticalaxis. This permits 'of operation by a bar whicheambenwdng substantiallyinia horizontal plana.

the obiects ot this 'mventiorr-are: To pizovide' a oonstm ioti'on-whicl1- will permit operation'ofi a slidinggate by a liar operatingin-a planesubstantiallyparallel to the plane of movementz of the gateto' provide a construction involvingza gate carrying frame or simplifiedconstruotion and "to-provide an improved latching and; sealing .device'for 1 the gate i-n elosed' posiframes in the form of outlet castingstogether with cooperating horizontally 'slidable gates;

Figure 2 isa -view,jpartly in side elevation and partl-y-in-section,showing the application of the present inventionto a pair or adjacenthoppers;

and

Figure 3 is a. detail sectional view, taken, generally, along thelined-3 of Figure 2.

The present invention is illustrated as applied toa conventional hoppertype railway car having a hopper "with a discharge opening located inthe space above and between'the rails, one of which: isiindi oatedat IIOinT'igure-B. As there shown. the reference :oharacter H indicates a:center sill or the lcarand the-referenoe: character l2: designatesone-.si'de'i'wallz. thereof. Four-sided hoppers, indicated. generally at[3, are located between the ioenter'sillil l-l and the car side wall t2.shownzmore clearly in Figure-2 the hoppers l 3 are located in pairs andthe: present invention is applied thereto: although itwill be understoodthat it i may lee-employed in connection a single hopper-only. Eachhopper I3 is formed dentedas' indicated at ifiltoi accommodate a bottomflange [S ot-the center sill LL The walls 14, i5, i6 and [-1 atthen-lower edges define a discharge-openingwhich. is'surrounded .byanontletzframe casting that is indicated, generallm at22'. Itmayne'heldinspo'sition by rivets 2:3 .as shown. The outlet frame casting-22inclndes 'frame "end walls N-and '25 which are coextensive with. thelower portions of the walls l4 and I5 respectively. Also itincludesinner and outer frame side walls 26 and 27 which are coextensive withthe lower portions of the inner and outer wallsidand Ill-"respectively.At the lower end of the outlet frame casting-22' there is a four-sidedchute which: is formed by depending end walls 28 and'29" depending sidewalls 30 and- 31. Flanges nand:tii extend outwardly from the walls 28and -3-l respectively for receiving and clamping to r a 4 separate chute(not shown). Flanges from this separate oh-u-te are arranged to'interfit with slots and 35 as will be understood readily.

As-illu'strated more clearly in' 'Figure 2the end wal1=29 haSE a-'tIa;IISV(-SISG slot"?! through which agate 38 can move 'for' closing offthe discharge opening" at the bottom-0t each of thehoppers" i 3. Theenduwall fl has ailedge .Walorrg its upper edge which defines the lowerside of the transverse slot '31" and serves 'to a support the gate "3'8in its sliding movement to and from the closed position. The ledge 39 incombination with the lower portion of the end wall 23 which includes theU-shaped slot 35 provides a relatively strong beam structure whichextends transversely across and underneath the gate 38. The forward endof the gate 38 rests on a shelf 40 which extends horizontally of the endwall 28.

The gate 38 is of plate-like construction and it is arranged to besupported and slide on runways 42 and 43 which are provided at the upperedges of the side walls 30 and 3|. The runways 42 and 43 and theirrelationship to the gate 38 of each frame casting 22 are shown moreclearly in Figure 1 of the drawings. Projections 44 and 45 extendinwardly from the side walls 26 and 21 of the frame casting 22 over theupper surface of the gate 38 along the margins thereof to prevent thesame from bouncing upwardly when the hoppers |3 are empty.

With a view to supporting the gates 38 in the open positions, L-shapedextension rails 46 and 41 are provided. They are attached by suitablemeans, such as rivets, at their ends to ears 48 and 49 which are formedintegrally with the side walls 38 and 3| of the outlet frame casting 22associated with each of the hoppers l3. Guide lugs 50, Figure 3, areformed integrally on the under side of each of the gates 38 formaintaining it in proper spaced relationship between the extension rails46 and 41 and guiding it in its movement therealong.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made for movingeach of the gates 38 to open and closed position by employing a pinionwhich is centrally rotatably mounted thereon so that it can be rotatedabout a vertical axis. Each pinion 5| is supported for operation by abifurcated bracket that is indicated, generally, at 52 and formedintegrally with each gate 38. The bracket 52 includes an arm 53 which ispositioned well below the under surface of the gate 38 and an extension54 which projects from the main portion of the gate 38 as shown moreclearly in Figure 2. The arm 53 and extension 54 provide bearings forrotatably mounting a shaft 55 which has a non-circular portionintermediate its ends coextensive with the pinion 5| so that the same isnon-rotatably mounted thereon. At its upper end the shaft 55 has a head,shown generally at 56, which is provided with transversely extendingslots 51 for receiving an operating bar to be described. A rivet 55extends through the shaft 55 and through a washer 59 below the arm 53.It is headed over as shown so as to hold the parts inseparable.

The teeth of the pinion 5| extend vertically and are arranged to meshwith the vertical teeth of a rack 88. It will be observed that a rack 68is provided for each pinion 5| and that the racks 60 are mountedunderneath the hopper walls I5 on a support 8| in the form of an angle.The support 6| is secured at its ends by rivets to bracket walls 62which are cast integrally with the end walls 29 of each of the outletframe castings 22. Gusset walls 63, also cast integrally, serve to bracethe bracket walls 62 laterally.

As indicated, the slotted head 56 is arranged to receive an operatingbar for rotating the pinion 5|. In Figure 3 of the drawings an operatingbar 54 is indicated by broken lines as being positioned in one of thetwo slots 51 in the head 56. It will be appreciated that the operatingbar 64 is swung substantially in a horizontal plane parallel to the gate38 for rotating the pinion 5| and moving the corresponding gate 38toward the open or closed position depending upon the direction in whichthe bar 84 is moved. Since the slots 5'! are open at their upper ends,the operating bar 64 cannot be accidentally left in place. Once theoperator lets go his grasp on the end of the bar 64, it will fall underthe influence of gravity to the ground. The outward movement of each ofthe gates 38 to the open position is limited by a stop 65 which projectsupwardly from and is formed integrally with each of the racks 50.

The disposition of the teeth of the rack 60 vertically and acorresponding disposition of the teeth of the pinion 5| are advantageousinasmuch ts there is little tendency for grit or foreign matter to beretained thereby and interfere with proper operation. Also it will benoted that each pinion 5| is well protected beneath its gate 38 and iswell supported by the bifurcated bracket construction 52. An importantadvantage of the present invention as disclosed herein resides in theabsence of parts projecting below the outlet frame casting 22 and thecomplete accessibility of the various parts. Another important advantageis the possibility of obtaining substantially unlimited leverage forrotating the pinion 5| since the operating bar 64 is arranged to swingin substantially a horizontal plane and thus it does not interfere withthe side wall |2.

In accordance with this invention provision is made for latching each ofthe gates 38 in the closed position. Thisis accomplished by casting ancar 56 with each of the outlet frame castings 22 as an extension of theouter side wall 21. This is shown more clearly in Figure 2. The car 68has a key-shaped opening 61 for receiving a keyshaped head 58 of a bolt69, Figure 1. The bolt 59 is slidably and rockably mounted betweenprojections 18 which are cast integrally with each of the gates 38 andextend upwardly therefrom. Each bolt 69 is held in place between theprojections 18 by plates H which are Welded thereto. A handle 12 extendsradially from the body of the bolt 69 between the pairs of projections Hand it is positioned so as to bias the key-shaped head 58 out ofregistry with the key-shaped opening 67 in the ear 58. A slot 13 may belocated in the key-shaped head 68 for receiving a seal in accordancewith conventional practice.

The functioning of the present invention will be understood readily fromthe foregoing description and by reference to the drawings. Assumingthat the bolt 69 is withdrawn from engagement with its key-shapedopening 61 for one of the gates 38, the operator then places theoperating bar 64 in the transversely extending slots in the head 55 androtates the same in the proper direction to move the gate 38 on whichthe selected head 56 is mounted to the open position. The operating bar64 then is swung as far as space limitations will permit. Thereafter itis removed from the head 56 and placed in the next slot for continuingthe opening movement of the gate 38. The gate 38 is closed by reversingthis sequence of operations.

Since certain further changes can be made in the foregoing constructionand different embodiments of the invention can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter shownin the accompanying drawings and described hereinbefore shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a hopperfor a railway car having inclined sidesdefining a hopper opening spaced inwardly from a side wall of the car, aframe around said opening, a gate carried by said frame for closing saidopening, said gate being horizontally slidable from and to closedposition on said frame underneath one of the inclined sides of saidhopper, a pinion centrally: mounted along one end of and below said gatefor rotation about a vertical axis, a rack carried by said frame belowsaid gate and extendingendwise therefrom and engaged by said pinion,

and a head fastened to and rotatable coaxially'" with said pinion anddisposed above said gate and having a pair of U-shaped angularly relatedslots therein for receiving in either of them a horizontally positionedremovable operating bar insertable from one side of the car to rotatesaid pinion in engagement with said rack to move said gate from and tothe closed position by successively positioning said bar in said slotsand swinging the same through an arc. 2. In combination, a pair ofhoppers for a railway car having inclined sides defining a hopperopening spaced inwardly from the side wall of the car, adjacent sides ofsaid hoppers defining an inverted V-shape, a frame around each hopperopening, a gate carried by each frame for closing the correspondinghopper opening, extension rails between said frames for supporting saidgates in their movement from and to open position, each gate beinghorizontally slidable from and to closed position underneath the side ofits hopper forming said inverted V-shape, a pinion centrally mountedalong one end of and below each gate for rotation about a vertical axis,a support carried by and extending between said frames below said gates,a pair of racks carried by said support and extending endwise from therespective gates in closed position and engaged by the respectivepinions carried thereby, and a head fastenedto and rotatable coaxiallywith each pinion and disposed above the respective gate and having apair of U-shaped angularly related slots therein for receiving in eitherof them a horizontally positioned removable operating bar insertablefrom one side of the car to rotate the pinion associated therewith inengagement with its rack to move the corresponding gate from and to theclosed position by successively positioning said bar in said slots andswinging the same through an arc.

GEORGE B. DOREY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 622,909 Barney Apr. 11, 1899 869,804 Phillips Oct. 29, 19071,853,559 Halpin et a1. Apr. 12, 1932 2,142,236 Campbell Jan. 3, 19392,250,524 Dietrichson July 29, 1941 2,386,702 McBride Oct. 9, 1945

